Disney: World of Great Eats!

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I feel Disney World is the best place to take a family for a vacation. As my kids have started getting bigger, they can go on more and more rides. They live for the ride. I, however, have discovered that I love the food at Disney. The thing that makes me the most excited about my trip is planning where we will eat during our vacation. I will scour the menus, ask everyone their opinion, and try to find the perfect time to take a break and sit down for a fabulous meal.

I wasn’t sure what restaurant I was going to review for my first blog post. There are so many ones that are must-dos for us on each trip. I love the delicious food at places such as Le Cellier and Teppan Edo, but I decided that for my first post, I would go with a place that is themed to the max, like all things Disney. So I picked an oldie but a goodie, the 50s Prime Time Cafe.

I’m not old enough to have lived in the 1950’s, but I sure do appreciate the kitschy decor. I love how when you walk in, there is a group of cast members standing around pretending to be your long lost family members. I love the old TV’s, the retro furniture, and the fun bar. You can have a seat at one of the TV’s while you wait, or you could saddle up to the bar and get some refreshment. I love the Mowie Wowie or Grandma’s Picnic Punch.

The wait could be awhile, this is a very popular place. I prefer to make my reservations at slightly off times in order to try to avoid this. Usually we’ll do something around 4:00 or 5:00. It’s early, but we also get up early on vacation, so it works for us. This last time, we had reservations at 3:40 and the place was almost deserted. I’m not sure I liked this as much. It’s a bit more fun when there’s more people around you to interact with. Anyhow, the tables and decor inside the seating area are just as themed as the lobby.

Now the food is just plain comfort food. I always used to get the meatloaf, while my hubby usually got the fried chicken or the pot roast. I was quite pleased to note that the last time we were there they had a new menu item that included all three offerings. It’s called A Sampling of Mom’s Favorite Recipes, and it is delicious! Almost too much food to eat all by yourself, but I somehow managed.

The dessert menu is an old viewfinder with pictures on it. The first time I was offered one of these, I was so confused that I didn’t even bother getting dessert. I know better now. Dessert is the best part of eating at 50’s. I do NOT miss the smores. EVER!! They are so good!! Don’t believe me?

My hubby is a weirdo…he usually gets the cobbler.

The food is not the only reason this is a special eatery. The cast members really make this an experience. We have had so many good experiences. Uncle Dale has been a favorite of ours. In 2010, we met Cousin Roman, who my middle daughter fell in love with. They had so much fun flirting with him, and he just played along with them. He teased them mercilessly.

Now my daughter wasn’t really flirting, but they did have a lot of fun. She wrote him a letter telling him what an awesome waiter he was. He insisted it was a love letter, and he gave her a just engaged pin to celebrate their upcoming nuptials.

Just a note, don’t go expecting the cast member to be overly exuberant. There certainly are plenty of them that are…you may see adults being forced to stand in the corner for not eating their vegetables, or you may be asked to join in a rowdy rendition of Happy Birthday to a fellow cousin, or you may see a cast member enter the room through a near-by pass-through window. It is possible that you may get a dud in there, though. On our last trip, we had a cast member that just wasn’t into the role. He seemed really embarrassed and awkward. We had just as much fun though. We laughed and acted silly even though we were the only ones in the room. After all, in Disney World, you are in charge of your own destiny. It is up to you to make sure you have fun and turn any situation into the vacation of your life! Happy eating!!  Jenn